Update on racism at Genclerbirligi saga

Time to let Samet Aybaba have his say:

"In my job I have won the club the Turkish Cup. We defeated Fenerbahce in the final, as well as earlier defeating Besiktas," Aybaba said according to news reports late on Tuesday.

"If I was a racist I wouldn't have transfered a Serbian (to Gencler) three days ago", he said, referring to what we hope is a decent goalkeeper. "I've brought (to Turkey) Jaba, Tita, Wederson, Petkovic and tens of other foreigners. Where is the racism?

Where indeed. I suggest he looks closer as unfortunately Aybaba did not at all apologise for his comments regarding El Saka.

As for the club, well Cem Onuk the general manager has been downright... well... totally predictable: "We think the coach was at his end or his words were a reflex," Cem Onuk was quoted by the Anatolian news agency on Tuesday. The exact quote is as follows and I'm putting it here because it is very late at night that I'm writing this and therefore acknowledge that I may have got the translation wrong (Hocanın onu bir anlık sinirle veya refleks ile söylediğini düşünüyor)

Conclusion: So Aybaba has done exactly what many have done in the past, i.e. transfered players from various countries whom he thinks will do well. I seem to remember that this is exactly what Mehmet Ali Yilmaz did.

I also seem to remember that Yilmaz's excuse over a clearly racist remark was pretty much the same as Onuk has given for Aybaba.